UAlbany women's lacrosse wins conference opener

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The University at Albany women's lacrosse team opens its' 2023 America East schedule with a victory over Vermont at home Saturday afternoon, winning 12-9 in a rematch of the 2022 conference title game.

Key Stats

• Sarah Falk scored three goals with two assists
• Shonly Wallace recorded a hat trick
• Bryar Hogg scored twice with two assists
• UAlbany outdrew Vermont 14-11, including 5-1 in the first and third quarters
• UAlbany won 25 of 46 ground balls
• Vermont's Ava Vasile scored five goals with one assist

Head Coach Katie Thomson: "It is really great to have a win to start our conference schedule.  We worked really hard in the offseason, in the preseason, and in this first stretch of nonconference games to really focus on our process and take it game-by-game.  The defense was so locked in today.  They did a great job preparing the last couple days for this game.  Their communication and connection was on point, and they were so controlled while still being aggressive.  And Sweeney did a great job in cage today.  We're really happy with all of that."

How it Happened

• The University at Albany women's lacrosse program hosted Vermont to start their 2023 America East schedule.  It was the first meeting between the two teams since the 2022 America East title game, where Vermont came back from five goals down to defeat UAlbany on John Fallon Field 12-11.
• Ava Vasile scored her first of five goals for the Catamounts just two-and-a-half minutes following the opening draw to give Vermont an early lead.  Sarah Falk responded off a setup from Bryar Hogg to tie the game at one two-and-a-half minutes later.
• Vermont scored with 6:20 to go in the first when Hogg and Falk connected again, in reverse, to tie the game at two later in the first quarter.  Vermont scored one final time in the opening period to take a 3-2 lead.
• UAlbany's defense locked down in the second quarter while the offense scored four times.  Shonly Wallace began UAlbany's run with 11:00 on the clock, her first of three goals on the afternoon.  Katie Pascale followed with 7:00 remaining in the half.  Finally, Ava Poupard and Allie Maloney scored goals just 74 seconds apart to give UAlbany a 6-3 halftime lead.
• UAlbany had outdrawn Vermont 8-3 overall in the first half, including 5-1 in the first quarter.  Additionally, the Great Danes had doubled up the Catamounts in shots taken, 16-8, at a rate of 8-4 in each of the first two quarters.
• The Great Danes' run grew to 5-0 when Wallace scored again with 9:04 left in the third.  Vermont finally broke the streak with 6:00 left in the quarter before Courtney Rowe netted her first goal of the year with 3:18 to go.
• Each team scored once more to close the third, giving the Great Danes a four-goal, 9-5 advantage heading into the final period.  Vermont picked up its intensity on the draw in the fourth, winning seven of eight in the last 15 minutes, while all eight of the Catamounts' shots taken were on target.
• Vermont scored twice, 35 seconds apart, to open the fourth to close within two, before ceding two more goals to UAlbany and keeping the deficit at four with 7:00 to go.  Vasile scored with 6:18 left to cut to within three before Falk scored UAlbany's final goal of the game with 4:53 remaining.  Vasile added a fifth and final goal for herself and the Catamounts with 3:47 remaining to bring the final score to 12-9 in favor of the Great Danes.
• UAlbany finished the game with a narrow advantage in shots taken, 24-22, and slightly larger advantages in ground balls won, 25-21, and draws, 14-11.

Next: UAlbany visits UMass Lowell on April 1.